ORCA Centre jam packed with activity!

The waters this week have been considerably quieter than last week – with only a couple of porpoise seen until yesterday when we had sightings of two white beaked dolphins and a minke whale outside of Newcastle. As the whale was swimming directly towards us (and so head on, not side on) it was difficult for most people to see it. The sea states have frequently been between 3-5 so spotting cetaceans has proved tricky – but I’m sure they’re still there (just hiding behind the waves!).

Nevertheless, the ORCA centre has been jam packed for another week running, with families crowding in for presentations and children’s activities.

This week I’ve also welcomed on board Sarah, a Conservation Biology student from Glasgow who will be our final Wildlife Guide Trainee for the 2014 season. She’s had a good start to the week so far, with plenty of children to keep entertained every evening!

She’s already working on her own Wine and Whales lecture to deliver in a couple of weeks’ time and is helping me redesign some display panels in the ORCA centre.

Hopefully sightings will pick up again when Anna takes over next week! Fingers crossed for calmer waters…

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What is the ORCA / DFDS Seaways partnership all about?

Whale and dolphin charity ORCA and international ferry operator DFDS Seaways have been working together for ten years to study the wildlife of the North Sea.

2017 sees the start of the tenth year of our ground-breaking initiative to place ORCA Wildlife Officers on board DFDS Seaways ferries sailing across the wildlife rich waters of the North Sea between April and September.
Working on board the King Seaways operating between Newcastle and Amsterdam, our Wildlife Officers Lucy McLeod and Julia Kestler continue to be a huge hit with the general public.